A taxpayer said they were having an issue after a change in their employment
HMRC has issued guidance for when calling up with a tax query (Image: Getty)
HMRC has shared some guidance about what to do when calling their helpline. The update came after a person contacted the group over social media as they had been trying to get help for several weeks about their tax situation.
The person said they had started a new job as they were on a “career break” from another job, but they could not move their tax allowance. A person gets a standard personal allowance meaning they can earn up to £12,570 a year without paying income tax.
This starts to taper away once you earn £100,000 or more, as you lose £1 worth for each £2 you earn over this threshold, meaning you get no tax-free allowance if you earn £125,140 or more.
The person who contacted HMRC said that half of their allowance was stuck in their old job, despite them not receiving any income at the moment from this employment. HMRC first asked the person if they were trying to change their allowance allocation either through their personal tax account or through the HMRC app.
But the person responded to say they had tried this but as they had not left their previous job “I can’t change my allowance at all”. Further explaining their predicament, they also said: “I also cannot add my other employer. I also cannot get through on the phone.”
HMRC then asked some more questions to get further information from the person. The customer said they had three different tax codes, but they were also missing an employer that they couldn’t add to their record.
The tax authority the told the person: “You’ll need an adviser on the helpline to update this for you.” The person asked them what would be the best thing to say to make sure they reached the right person.
In response, HMRC said: “Mention ‘allocate tax-free allowance’ at the automated stage.” You can call HMRC about income tax queries on 0300 200 3300. Lines are open Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm.
You can call the number with queries about your tax code, any overpayments or underpayments, or about a P800 tax calculation.
